Future Fathers of America
by RockDiva
Summary: Wilbur is determined to prove that some animals in Todayland are up to no good, but Cornelius only makes matters worse when he starts thinking he's a bad father. THIS IS NOT SLASH!
1. Of Dogs And Boys

**A/N- **This was my first ever full length MTR fanfic...ahh the memories. I this chapter, I borrowed from the video game, I also borrowed the name Marty from _Back to the Future_, and Future Father's of America is based on Future Farmers of America. A few original characters and concepts here, but that's about it. I own nothing else.

* * *

**Of Dogs and Boys **

"Dad, for the last time, it's no big deal. Mrs. Muginny just overreacted, that's all," Wilbur was trying to explain his way out of trouble, yet again.

"Wilbur, you set her cat on fire with one of your laser guns," Cornelius looked at his son.

"But I was aiming at the dog. I'm telling you, dad. That dog is up to no good. I think it's part of a secret society of dogs, and there all just waiting." Wilbur's voice became more dramatic. "Waiting for the day to overthrow us all! And you thought Queen Lizzy and her ants were trouble…" Wilbur quickly shut his mouth.

"Queen Lizzy and her ants?" Cornelius had been out of town when Wilbur had messed up the time stream, causing Queen Lizzy and Emperor Stanley to come to power and overthrow all of Todayland. "Wilbur, is there something you need to tell me?"

"Of course not. It was, uh, just a video game. Yeah, that's it. It was just a level on one of my video games."

"Wilbur, I think we need to have a talk about that imagination of yours," Wilbur knew he was in for one of his dad's pep talks. "You're a Robinson. You know I don't like to brag, but you're the offspring of two, well, geniuses. I take pride in being the greatest known inventor, and your mother," Cornelius paused admiringly, "the things she can do with music is in its own right, brilliant."

"Yeah, but dad," Wilbur let his eyes drop towards his feet a little, "I'm not a genius."

"You're smarter than you think. Every invention begins with imagination. And that's something you have lots of, son. You just need to put it to something more productive than charge..."

"No, dad! Don't even say it!" Wilbur didn't want to hear his favorite game spoken ill of.

"Alright, alright. That was just me over-reacting. I'm sorry." Cornelius heaved a deep sigh. "Listen, son. Using your imagination is good; very good. But using it to make up wild stories like Mrs. Mugginy's dog and a secret evil plot…that's bad."

"But, dad…"

"_Wilbur_…" he was now losing patience with his son.

"But what if I'm right!"

"Wilbur, that's not the point. Firing a laser gun at another person's property, especially a dog, is not the answer even if you are right," Cornelius realized he would get no where if he didn't play along with his son's crazy tale.

"You know what, dad. You're absolutely right," Wilbur's voice suddenly grew nonchalant. "I see my mistake. So, I'll just be going to my room now to think about my actions…"

"Not so fast." Wilbur's dad knew better by now. "Nice try, but you're not getting off that easy. First, you are going to go and apologize to Mrs. Mugginy and then when you get back we'll discuss the rest of your punishment."

"Aw, man."

"Carl will go with you, because I want you there and back within an hour, do you understand? No lollygagging along the way."

"Lollygagging? Dad, you really need to work on your vocab." His dad wasn't amused. "Fine, I'm going."

* * *

"I know I'm right, Carl," Wilbur complained the entire way to Mrs. Mugginy's house. "Why didn't he believe me?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you didn't bother to mention your theory _before_ taking it on yourself to blast the dog to kingdom come." Carl began listing answers to Wilbur's mostly hypothetical question. "Or maybe because you're always disobeying everything your father says. Or maybe because of that one time when you used one of his inventions to switch your mother's brain with Uncle Art's. Or maybe the time you lied and said you were…"

"That's enough, Carl. It doesn't matter. I thought parents were supposed to believe their kids."

"You know, parenting isn't exactly my expertise, although you would think it would be as much as I baby-sit you all the time, but I think it's more like a parent's job to keep their kids from turning into disobedient liars who shoot laser guns at 'psychotic dogs'."

"What's your point?" Wilbur stared at him blankly.

"My point? Hmm…I don't know, maybe…my point is, your dad has every right not to believe you."

"You know, Carl. We can go around in circles on this forever so why don't we just give it a rest okay."

"A-ha! You know that I'm right. Admit it."

"Well, hello. Looks like Marty's cousin Sawyer is in town. I think I'll just give a quick…" Wilbur changed the subject at the site of a girl he sort of liked.

"Oh no you don't. Your father specifically said Mrs. Mugginy's and back home. NO WHERE ELSE!"

"Relax, Carl."

"Every time you say those words," Carl looked at the rebellious teenager, "something bad happens. You know, now I understand the ethical ramifications for a father micro chipping his son."

"What!" Wilbur's eyes grew wider. "I'm micro chipped?" He looked at his arms and legs closely studying them. "Where is it? Where?"

"What were your words, oh right, relax, Wilbur."

"So I'm not micro chipped?" he saw his robot friend trying to cover up a chuckle. "It's not funny, Carl. How would you like it if you thought you were micro chipped?"

"That is a rhetorical question right? My entire system is made up of micro chips."

"Fine, it was a rhetorical question. Let's just get to Mrs. Mugginy's and get back home."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

* * *

"Cornelius? Cornelius, are you up here?" Franny was in search of her husband. She hadn't seen him since he had learned of Wilbur's behavior, and that hadn't been since right after lunch. She decided to check his favorite spot, a balcony he had created right off their bedroom suite. He had created it to replicate his old rooftop at the orphanage he grew up in. Sure enough, there he was sitting on a rather grungy bench, leaning forward with his elbow rested on his knee and his chin rested on his fist. "What's wrong?"

His wife's voice caught him off guard. "Hmm? Nothing I guess."

"You know you can't fool me. You always come out here when something's bothering you. So are you going to tell me or not?" Franny knew that if Cornelius was sitting here, the problem must be a big one.

"Am I good father?" was Cornelius's response.

"What?" this time, Franny was the one taken off guard. "A good father, sweetheart, do you even have to ask?"

"Yes, I do. I had a talk with Wilbur, but I just don't think anything I said got through to him. Maybe part of his behavior is my fault," he ended his sentence with a sigh.

"Your fault? Wilbur's a thirteen year old boy. He's bound to get into trouble."

"I know, but maybe if I cut back some of my time in the business. Maybe if I spend more time with him, he'll…"

"He'll what? Behave? Maybe Wilbur's just trying to be cool. Being a genius isn't really popular now days."

"It wasn't really popular in my day," Cornelius made room for a bit of a laugh. "But he _is_ a genius, whether or not he thinks so."

"He gets that from his father."

"And he's already a cool kid. He gets that from you."

"So maybe he's just trying to get some attention? Is that what you think?" Franny became more serious on the matter, her motherly instincts sinking in more deeply. "Maybe I've always been too busy too."

"Oh no. I don't want you blaming yourself, now. You're a wonderful mother. You're always here when he needs you. You're not the one who's always here one day and then out of town with the business the next."

"You know what, I have an idea. I remember seeing a bulletin about a father/son group. I think it's called Future Fathers of America. It's supposed to provide fun father/son time while also teaching the fathers and sons to communicate with one another better. Maybe you and Wilbur should give it a try," Franny suggested.

"Wilbur would never be up for it. I don't even know if I'm up for it," Cornelius answered honestly. "I think I remember taking that shrink class in middle school."

"You did take that shrink class in middle school. We both did, and if I remember correctly, we both nearly failed."

"Hmm, I don't remember that part."

"Well, I do. Now, listen," Franny said more forcefully, "you said you think that maybe you're part of the blame for how Wilbur acts. I think this group will give the two of you some time together. After awhile, you'll know if it's something you're doing wrong."

"But, Franny…"

"_Cornelius_…"

"Alright. You're always right."

"And don't think buttering me up will change my mind, Mr. Robinson. You're going."

"Me? Butter you up?" Cornelius stood to his feet and pulled Franny closer to him. "Why, whatever do you mean?" He finished his question with a loving kiss.


	2. When Alien Zombies Attack

**A/N- **This is where the Alien Zombies first made there appearance :P The name Milo is borrowed from the movie _Milo and Otis. _I went with the 3D-Dome in honor of the fact that this movie was in 3-D. This is also the first time I ever used the sleeptalking Cornelius gag :)

* * *

**When Alien Zombies Attack **

"So why are we here?" Wilbur asked his dad as they stood off to themselves in a large room that was slowly filling up with other fathers and sons. Wilbur was desperately hoping not to run into anyone he knew from school. "Is this some form of unusual punishment for what I did?"

"No. You think spending time with your old man is punishment?"

"No, I didn't mean that. Of course not, it's just…"

"Just what, son?" Cornelius encouraged him to finish.

"Just…nothing." There was a second or two of silence. "So why are we here again?"

"Because I thought I could use some time out of the lab. And I'm sure Carl could use a break from keeping an eye on you all the time."

"Or you could just micro chip me," Wilbur joked.

"Ha, ha. Good one, Wilbur," Cornelius laughed a little nervously.

"So really, dad, why are we here?" Wilbur wouldn't give it a rest.

Cornelius gave a small huff. "Because it'll be a fun way to spend time together and learn how to communicate better."

"So it was mom's idea?"

"Pretty much. Not that I don't want to spend time with you," he added.

"I know, but this isn't exactly the coolest way to spend quality time together, dad."

_Hmm, maybe his only concern is being cool_, Cornelius thought to himself. _Maybe I just overreacted_. "You know what, you're right. I know you're grounded, but how about we lift your punishment for the evening and you and I see a movie instead."

"Alien Zombies is at the 3D-Dome," Wilbur became excited.

"I don't know. Alien Zombies? That might not be appropriate for someone your age."

"Come on, dad. I'm 13 remember?"

"I guess there's no harm in it. But not a word to your mom," Cornelius warned as he relented.

* * *

"That was a close one, Milo. A close on that I paid for," Mrs. Mugginy's cat said examining its singed tail.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," barked Mrs. Mugginy's dog. "Don't worry. It'll be worth it. And you'll be rewarded. But first we have to take care of the kid. He obviously knows something. I want you to go on the prowl. Snoop around that circus of theirs and see if you can get any dirt on the boy."

"Something to use against him? Got it, boss."

"More than that. I want to know his weaknesses, his flaws, his every problem…_anything_ we can use against him. We will have to exterminate Wilbur Robinson any way we can."

* * *

Franny opened her eyes and adjusted them to the dark. She thought she had heard something. Concerned, she tried to wake her husband. "Cornelius," she whispered.

"Blue cheese divided by infinity," came a mumbled response from the still sleeping inventor.

"Cornelius, wake up. I heard something," she whispered a bit louder.

"3.14159."

"Cornelius!" she finally nudged him.

"Look out, alien zombies."

"Alien zombies! Where?! Dad, don't let them get me!" came a scream from somewhere in the dark room.

"Lights on," Franny said aloud, causing the voice activated lights to switch on.

The brightness of the lights, mixed with the commotion caused Cornelius to finally stir. "Wha-what's going on?" He looked up at his wife who was now sitting up, her arms crossed and an agitated look on her face.

He followed her gaze as he sat up and put on his glasses. As his eyes focused, he saw a terrified Wilbur looking from side to side, jumping at every little noise. "Wilbur?"

"Alien zombies?" Franny asked sharply. "I know my son didn't go to see that movie…with his father, now did he?"

Before either could answer, a cat shrieked outside, sending Wilbur flying under the covers at the foot of his parent's bed. "Don't let them eat my brain."

"What were you thinking?" Franny demanded an answer as she glared at Cornelius. "Alien Zombies? He's only 13."

"I thought we could bond," he answered weakly.

"Well, congratulations. Now he's never going to leave our side. What happened to the F.F.A group?"

"You were right. We were there for about ten minutes when I realized he _is_ just concerned with being cool. Problem solved," luckily Wilbur was too preoccupied with listening for signs of alien zombies to take notice of his parents' argument.

"And so you decided to skip the meeting? He talked you into taking him to see that…that movie? And you weren't even going to tell me about it?" Franny was starting to lose control of her temper altogether.

"Um, I…yes? Yes, I messed up," Cornelius sighed and then looked at Wilbur. "Son, there aren't any alien zombies."

"That's what they want us to think!"

"It was just a movie."

"And it was just a nightmare, sweetie," Franny added, turning her voice from angry to loving without even taking time to blink.

"No, it was too real," Wilbur answered from under the covers.

"Did I mention we watched it at the 3D-Dome," Cornelius added nervously, receiving another angered glance from Franny, as they moved to the foot of the bed to sit next to their son.

"It's okay," Franny pulled Wilbur close to her lap.

"Wilbur, I promise, there are no alien zombies trying to get you."

"You really promise? Or are you just saying that because your mind is already under their evil control?" Wilbur stared at his dad suspiciously.

"I promise," Cornelius answered reassuringly.

"O…kay. I believe you." Wilbur let out a yawn. His eyes began to grow heavy, sleepiness sinking back in, but he still didn't want to close his eyes, for fear of having another nightmare.

Franny recognized his reluctance to fall back to sleep. "You know, the perfect remedy for a nightmare is hot chocolate and music. So how about I wrangle Frankie and the band while you go with your dad to make some."

"Cool. Hot chocolate after midnight," Wilbur said, coming back around to his usual self.

"I think he's going to be fine," Cornelius chuckled as they started to walk towards the door, his hand on his son's far shoulder.

"Oh, and Cornelius, once Wilbur's settled, you and I need to have a _talk_."

"Sure thing, dear," he tried to hide how worried he was at the sound of his wife's emphasis on the word 'talk'.

"Dad, you're a goner," Wilbur said as they left the room.


	3. We Both Bruise So Easily

**A/N- **Wow, posting this brings back memories of when I first posted it at LJ almost three months ago! Other than that, the only a/n is that the title of this chapter comes from the song on Chicken Little. I chose it since that was the first computer animated film by just Disney, and without it, who knows if we'd have MTR! Also, I had forgotten about the Franny comment...so I hope no one takes it the wrong way...again :P She could easily mean she just wants to spend more time with her husband. Wow, I think I just felt deja vu...

* * *

**We Both Bruise So Easily**

"Mistakes we make when we are younger directly effect the mistakes we'll make as fathers," Franny had forced her husband and son to attend an F.F.A. meeting for real.

"Did you hear that," Cornelius was actually getting into it.

"Yeah, yeah," Wilbur just rolled his eyes. He really wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was listening to an earpiece that was connected to a receiver in his dad's lab. He had talked Carl into playing some music as he ran data for Cornelius. Of course, every now and then, Carl would frantically mention how much trouble they could get in.

"One of the keys to any healthy father/son relationship is the ability to communicate with one another even in our worst moments," the F.F.A. leader continued to speak. "To demonstrate, I need a father and son."

Wilbur was horrified to see his father raise his hand and then even more horrified to feel himself being grabbed by the arm and dragged to the front of the room. "Dad!" He jerked loose as they came to a standstill.

"This is good! I can already sense the tension," the speaker joked. "Now, to prove how easy it is to lose control of our tempers, we're going to elevate the tension. And then, I'll show you how to work through the problem the correct way."

"Dad, this is stupid. He wants us to argue on purpose."

"We can just pretend." Cornelius looked at the man, "We can just pretend right?"

"Of course, of course. There's a great number of scenarios outlined in the F.F.A. handbook," the man started listing some off for them.

Wilbur, however, had turned his attention toward his earpiece and Carl, "Little buddy, I think you should hear this. While I was running data for your father, I came across some recent reports from people in the area. They're all reporting strange behavior in their pets. To be specific, pets no where to be found for hours after nightfall. And in one report, a man claimed to see several pets leaving Mrs. Mugginy's yard at once. Of course, no one has taken any of these reports very seriously. But I think you were right. Something's definitely up at Mrs. Mugginy's house and I doubt it's just a pet party. But you should know, Wilbur, it's more than just dogs. It's all kinds of pets. I'll have Frankie and some of his men hop over there and see if they can find anything."

"Thanks, Carl."

Cornelius stopped listening to the man when he heard Wilbur. "Carl?"

"Yeah, he said he was running some data and he thinks I was right about…"

"And how were you even talking to him?"

"Oh, uh, with…with the earpiece."

"So you've been ignoring everything this nice man has been saying?"

"Not everything. But that's not important now. Listen, dad, Mrs. Mugginy's dog _has_ been up to something, hmm, and maybe her cat too. We have to do something."

"Wilbur, not now. I don't want to listen to any more of your idiotic story," Cornelius immediately covered his mouth, realizing how he had insulted his son. "Wilbur, I'm sorry."

Wilbur was about to answer, but couldn't find any words. Instead, he just pulled the earpiece out and handed it to his dad and walked silently back to his seat. He remained silent for the rest of the meeting and all the way home.

"How was the meeting," Franny asked as Wilbur entered the Robinson Mansion, but was only answered by a shrug of the shoulders as he passed, making his way to his room. "What happened?" she looked at her husband as he walked in.

"I, I don't know," he sighed.

"Well, you must know something. And I can't help if you won't tell me."

Cornelius looked around, ashamed to admit anything if there were others listening. He noticed some of their family gathered in the nearby kitchen. "Do we have to discuss this here?"

Meanwhile, Wilbur was in his room, taking out his frustration with a game of chargeball. "I know that he didn't mean what he said. Did he? I have been known to get into trouble. Hmph. I don't know. Maybe I deserved it. Carl was right about my never obeying…I wasn't obeying when I had the earpiece. But why is mom so concerned with the F.F.A. thing anyways. Me and dad have always been tight. Okay, so maybe we're not as tight as we used to be. But that's just because I'm growing up. Even though I _am_ only 13." Wilbur let out a cry of confusion, "Why is this so complicated all of a sudden." He took out the last block against his computer opponent. He was about to make the winning goal, but stopped when he heard Carl come into his room.

"Okay, little buddy. I don't approve of eavesdropping or anything. But your father is pretty upset. Maybe you should go talk to him."

"You're right, Carl. I need to figure out why he's acting so, so…"

"Fatherly," Carl suggested.

"No, I was looking for the word strange. Where is he?"

"I saw him headed towards the music room with your mother."

Wilbur made his way to the music room. He was about to go in, but stopped to think of something to say first. He could hear his mom and dad talking about what had happened at the meeting.

"Hon, the two of you have fought before. And over much sillier reasons. But I know the two of you will be laughing together again in no time."

"I don't know why I exploded the way I did. I didn't mean to insult him…it just came out. I guess this proves I've turned into a horrible father."

"Nonsense. You just lost your temper, that's all. It's something you almost never do. So I'm sure Wilbur knows that you didn't mean it."

"That's just it. Now that I've done it once, I can't let it happen again. I'm determined to be a good father."

Franny only sighed. There seemed to be no convincing her husband that he was already a good father and that what had happened was just something that happened but didn't mean anything.

"He thinks he's a bad father? Something's not right. Was it something I did?" the thought crossed Wilbur's mind but didn't stay there. "Nah. Maybe it's just some kind of psychological breakdown. Ooh, ooh, maybe it was like that guy said. What was it now…hmm, something about mistakes made in the past…I know what I can do. I'll just keep dad from ever having a psychological breakdown in the first place. That should make up for disobeying him earlier. Yeah…" As usual Wilbur had already worked up a hairball scheme that he was sure would make everything right, and he was off to see it through.

"Listen, Cornelius. And I mean, really listen. A silly F.F.A. meeting is no substitute for a heart to heart. If we don't show Wilbur we're concerned about his behavior or about what's possibly going through his head now, it will be harder when he gets older. We need to work this out before we go any further. Just tell him the truth. You think that maybe he's trying to get our attention with all of his wild stories. And maybe he'll tell you something that we need to know."

"I think you're better at explaining things than that F.F.A. leader."

"It's called being a mom. It comes with the territory." She gave her husband a reassuring hug. "It'll be alright. You'll see." She sealed her intuitive knowledge with a kiss.

Carl entered the room, but immediately looked away. "Oh, uh, am I interrupting...I'll just come back…uh, later." He was about to leave, but was stopped by Franny and Cornelius.

"It's okay, Carl," Franny laughed. "You weren't interrupting anything. His attention is all yours...for now anyways," Franny smiled and left the room.

"How did I get so lucky," Cornelius smiled a nerdy smile and then turned his attention back to Carl.

"Not so lucky. You left the earpiece at the meeting you were at. Some man just called."

"Is that it?" Cornelius almost expected more urgent news the way Carl has burst into the room.

"Oh and...one of the time machines is missing and I can't find Wilbur."

"What? Okay, okay. No need to panic," the worst passed through Cornelius's mind including the thought that maybe Wilbur was running away, but Wilbur was smarter than that he hoped. "Carl, I want you to run a timestream scan for the time machine. Once you get a lock on him, I'll get the other machine and find him. I'm going to go and get the earpiece so that we can keep in contact," he sighed. "I knew I should have taken the time to fix that other earpiece."

"I'm sure it's okay. Do you want me to tell..."

"No! Don't tell Franny, not just yet. I don't want her to worry more than she needs to. I'm sure I'll find Wilbur in no time."

"Well, time _is_ on your side," Carl tried to be funny but only felt foolish. "Probably not the best way to try and lighten the mood."


	4. Once A Wilbur, Always A Wilbur

**A/N- **Wow, sorry it took so long! I had almost forgotten about it since I had been busy working on other stories. By the looks of the document notice...it's been 94 days!! Amazing how time just flies by! And actually, it wa Robin (doodlegirll) who reminded me of it last night! For those who have already read this story on LJ, I have been editing it from this point on as I re-post it, so it might seem a little different in spots. Back then, I realize that I just had a lot of lines of dialogue with not alot of description surrounding the dialogue. Guess my mind was still in script mode since if I remember right, I'd been working on a television series at the time. And wow, this is back when my chapters were much longer! But the stories themselves, much shorter :P

* * *

**Once A Wilbur, Always A Wilbur **

"So maybe if you add a little bit of this compound here," Lewis said to his best friend and almost girlfriend, Franny. He used a dropper to drop a little smidgen of some sort of chemical formula on one of Franny's frogs. Suddenly the frog let out a huge "La" instead of a croak.

"We did it! We did it!" Franny jumped up and down as she hugged Lewis. "Lewis Robinson, I could kiss you!" she said excitedly, than blushed at being so bold. Lewis only smiled, knowing that someday she would. "So, um, what do you think of the baby project we were assigned in our psychology class?" she referred to a baby that she and Lewis had to "parent" for the weekend.

"Well, I think it's kind of weird that they're making us learn to be parents at this age, but I'm glad we were paired up."

"Me too. And you're okay watching it by yourself tomorrow while I'm at my grandma's?"

"Of course. And I'll take good care of our…"

"Oh my goodness! We haven't named it yet," Franny was obviously already attached to the little doll.

"Oh, um, hmm…well, since it's a boy, we could name it Lewis Jr." Lewis joked.

"Or Frankie. You know how much I like that name. Hmm... No, I don't think I want my son named Frankie."

"Maybe…" Lewis was interrupted by the sound of his mom's voice.

"Cornelius, there's a boy named Wilbur down here to see you," Lucille called.

Lewis immediately became alert. _He wouldn't…would he?_ "Franny, I'll be right back. I have to go talk to my, uh, friend." He ran off leaving Franny with her frogs and the baby.

"Hmm, Wilbur…I like that name…" Franny thought to herself.

"Hi, Wilbur," Lewis said greeting him as he came to the door. "I'm a little surprised to see you here."

"Well, you know. I was in the area," he laughed nervously.

"Oh, you were…_were you_?" Lewis waited for his mom to leave before continuing. "And did I give you permission to be here this time?"

"Don't you remember the rule you made? The one where I don't have to ask permission?" Wilbur asked slyly. "Of course you don't. You haven't made it yet."

"And I don't think I ever will. Really, Wilbur you shouldn't be here. And you talked to your grandmother?!"

"Relax, Lewis. Can I call you Lewis or do I have to call you dad?"

"We'll see. And don't tell me to relax," Lewis looked at his future son with a warning face.

"No wonder you had a psychological breakdown."

"What? I did not. Why are you here?"

"Like I said, I'm here to see to it that you relax."

"Wilbur, you're not making any sense," less than two minutes had gone by and already Lewis felt himself losing patience with Wilbur.

"Lewis! Come quick! I think I have a name for the baby," Franny yelled.

"The baby? But I thought I was an only child," Wilbur looked at Lewis questioningly.

"Wilbur…"

"And I specifically recall when I was five and I asked you and mom for a brother…"

"Wilbur."

Wilbur gasped, "That better be mom up there, because if it isn't…although that would explain the psychological breakdown. You're guilt ridden."

"Wilbur!" Lewis finally got him to stop. "Would you listen to yourself? I'm still only 12 remember? And why do you keep talking about a psychological breakdown? Is there something I need to know about?"

"Is there something _I_ need to know about?" Wilbur challenged, still referring to the baby.

"No, it's just a class parenting project. And Franny…"

"Lewis!? Do you want me to name our son without you!?" Franny interrupted with another yell.

"Cool, I want to see. It'll be like having a little brother," Wilbur took off towards Lewis's room.

"Technically, he would be older…what am I saying!" Lewis followed after his son.

"There you are. I was just about to name our son Wilbur whether you liked it or not," Franny said.

"Well, then it's a good thing I was going to suggest that name before my so-uh friend here interrupted."

"You're just saying that," Franny said in disbelief.

"Believe me," Lewis looked at Wilbur, "I'm not."

"Really! Then his name will be Wilbur. That's your friend's name right?"

"Ye…" Wilbur started but was cut off.

"No, uh, no that's not his name. My mom probably misheard him. He's a friend of mine and Wilbur's. Another Wilbur," Lewis tried to lie but obviously wasn't good at it. He looked at Wilbur, expecting him to help.

"Right, my name's…" he saw a diagram of a robot on Lewis's desk. "My name's Carl."

"Oh, well hello, Carl," Franny had no sooner said her hello's when she heard Lucille calling for her.

"Franny, your family's here to get you."

"I'll be right there, Dr. Krunklehorn," Franny called back politely. She looked back at Lewis. "Now remember, be sure to hug him once every hour. And once every hour for me too. They say affection from both parents during the first year is vital for healthy growth." Franny handed the baby to Lewis. "Take good care of our Wilbur."

"I will," Lewis tried not to laugh at how ridiculous Franny was being over the doll.

"But if for some reason he doesn't," Wilbur interjected, "don't be too harsh with him. Because psychological breakdowns can destroy any happy marriage or family."

Franny stared at him blankly. "Okay, well, it was nice meeting you, Carl. He's weird," Franny whispered as she passed Lewis and headed out the door. After a few moments, Lewis went to the window and waved to Franny. He also held up the baby and waved its hand.

"Okay, seeing you and mom like this is too weird."

"You shouldn't be seeing us at all, you know."

"And does this mean that I'm named after a doll, or that Carl is named after me?" Wilbur scratched his head.

"It means that you may have thrown the time stream into chaos."

"And did you guys seriously hug _me_ every hour? No wonder I enjoy my personal space," Wilbur ignored his dad.

"Psychological breakdown explanation now," Lewis turned back to his son and commanded.

"Okay, okay. You're having one."

"I am?"

"Not right now in this day and time, but right now in the future."

"So if I'm having a psychological breakdown in the future, why aren't you there to help me?" Lewis looked at Wilbur curiously, trying to process what he had said.

"I am helping you. I came back to make sure nothing happens to you now to cause this to happen later," Wilbur was trying to explain.

"You didn't think this plan through very well did you? Wilbur, what if it's caused by something that happens to me sometime between now and then? I'm not going to know how to stop it because it hasn't happened yet. Am I making sense?"

"Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Okay, maybe I know why I didn't think of that. So if I take you to visit your life from now until the future, maybe you'll see how it happened and be able to keep it from happening." Wilbur was hatching another scheme.

"Why don't you just go visit those me's, and leave this me here to watch the baby?"

"Well, that's no fun. I thought we could have some father/son bonding time."

"I'm not really your father yet," Lewis pointed out.

"You sure act like it," Wilbur retorted.

"But on second hand, I should probably go to make sure that you don't mess anything else up," Lewis said with a sigh, commiting himself to what he knew had to be done.

"Woo-hoo! Wilbur and Lewis Robinson back in action! To the time machine!" He looked at his dad who was packing up a diaper bag for the baby doll. "Come on dad, you have to say it."

Lewis huffed a little, "To the time machine."

"Yeah! Wait. Do you really have to take that thing?" The doll started crying. Lewis only looked at his son with a look that said, 'Don't push my patience.' "Fine, he can come along too."


	5. Rise Of The Pets

**A/N-** Okay, so when writing this chapter, I went with the theory that time travel is based on the ability to go so fast that time comes to an almost total stop. Gotta love quantum physics right :P Also, there is a part in this chapter where Lewis's thoughts and Cornelius thoughts seem to co-relate despite Lewis being from the past. I have a cheesy, hardly scientific explanation for that too which I will add later... It's sort of a really short chapter because the next chapter is a whopping 9 pages in Word! Well, that's how it started originally for those who remember it on LiveJournal. So I might be editing it to make it two chapters instead one long one! Either way it means that this story is already almost over! Basically, because back then I didn't think that I could ever write a long fanfiction about the movie. But since then that has changed. Now I'm undertaking a story that could make it to 20 chapters or more (Artificial Romance) Gah! Well, anyways, here's the chapter.

* * *

**Rise Of The Pets**

"Wilbur, we've only gotten through a week. And the only thing we've learned is that I shouldn't eat the cafeteria food next Thursday," Lewis tried to be the voice of reason.

Wilbur had a cold chill as he remembered the image of his dad getting sick from his school's food. "Well, you also learned that you're having a pop quiz on Wednesday. So now you have nothing to worry about."

"I never worry over pop quizzes," Lewis said proudly.

"Well, then I know how _I'm _going to use the time machine for now on."

"I'd like to see you try," Lewis switched back to a paternal tone.

"_Fine_. Let's see, maybe we could skip a few days."

"At this rate the future me will be dead before we make it back...and that's even with time standing almost completely still! There's got to be a better way," Lewis shook his head skeptically.

"Well, you're the genius. I just supply the_ cool _of this operation."

"Well, then the genius suggests that Mr. Cool go back and just ask his dad what the problem is. I have a feeling he'll answer you."

"How do you know?" Lewis just stared at him. "Oh, yeah. Okay, back to the future."

"Whoa, wait. Aren't you going to drop me off back where I belong?"

"No can do. I need you there to make sure the future you doesn't cop out on me and say everything's fine. You and mom have that habit." Wilbur pushed a button, causing the time machine to hit hyperspeed. The extreme speed set off the baby's motion sensor causing it to cry. "Ugh, can't you make that thing stop?"

"It's supposed to be like a baby, _Carl_. You just can't tell it to shut up. It probably doesn't like the time machine."

"Heh, then he's no Robinson," Wilbur looked at the doll with disgust.

"That's because he's just a doll! He's an assignment. I only have to treat it like it's real to get a good grade."

"So, was I just an experiment?" Wilbur challenged. Lewis took off his glasses and massaged his forehead in between his eyes. "Hey, cool. You do that all the time in the future too."

"I'm not surprised." Lewis put his glasses back on, he grabbed the baby, which was still crying, and tried rocking it. "Okay, I'm starting to understand why I'm having a psychological breakdown in the future. Look at me! I'm rocking a pretend son while sitting in a time machine piloted by my real son from the future."

"I can put it on auto-pilot," Wilbur offered.

* * *

"Frankie! Where have you guys been?" Carl was already feeling panicked by the situation with Wilbur. 

"We've been runnin' for our lives, that's where we've been," one of Frankie's goons answered.

"All of the pets are planning an up rise, see? And they want Wilbur Robinson eliminated, see? So they'll kill anyone in there way, any Robinson, see?" Frankie had a fearful look in his eyes.

"I do see. We should have listened to Wilbur. And now he's missing, and…"

Carl was interrupted by Franny, "Missing? What do you mean Wilbur is missing?"

"Well, I, uh…"

"I can de-activate you," Franny stared down Carl as she crossed her arms.

"Wilbur and his dad had a disagreement, apparently, and I'm guessing it's because Wilbur doesn't think his dad believes him about Mrs. Mugginy's pets, which it turns out Wilbur was right all along, but it seems he's taken off with the time machine and now all of the uprising pets are bent on destroying Wilbur and anyone else on his side," Carl finished and let out a huge gasp for air.

"What? Wilbur's run away? Where's Cornelius?"

"In the words of my missing little buddy, that is an excellent question."

"One you don't want answered," Frankie spoke up again. "Their leader specifically said something about attacking Dr. Robinson first."

"But why?" Carl asked.

"To attack Wilbur where he's most vulnerable," all her years growing up with two brothers gave Franny some insight on the matter. "My misters need me. Carl, is there any way you can track down the time machine? Find out where Wilbur's run away to?"

"Well, I've been calibrating the data, and Wilbur's first stop was probably to visit Lewis."

"And so…" Franny pressed for further information.

"So, my first initial thought was he wasn't running away, but instead up to something, as usual. But since then, I've picked up weird readings. The tracker shows frequent stops. Almost like he's stopping every subsequent day after stopping to see Lewis. But that doesn't make any…" Carl stopped and looked at the tracker again. "…sense."

"What is it?" Franny was worried.

"He's coming back. He'll be here in less than…"

"Less than the angry pets bent on destroying Wilbur?" Frankie asked with a gulp, his animal senses detecting how close they were.

There was a pounding noise on the door to the Robinson mansion followed by a crashing sound. They then heard the screams of Spike and Dmitri and a huge blast that Franny recognized as her brother's meatball cannon. Bud and Lucille slipped into the room quickly.

"There's a bunch of pets here to destroy Wilbur. So I think we should get the buckaroo out of here," Bud showed concern for his grandson.

"Carl and I are already working on it. You and mom just stay safe okay?" Franny looked at them and then the frogs. "Make sure nothing happens to them. Come on, Carl. We have to find Wilbur while the others are still able to hold back the fiends."

* * *

Wilbur brought the time machine to a smooth landing. Of course, anything was smoother than Lewis's first encounter. As they stepped outside they realized immediately that something was wrong. But neither could place their fingers on it. 

"I feel strange," Lewis said. "I keep having strange thoughts."

"What kind of strange thoughts?" Wilbur looked at him.

"You probably don't want to know."

"Yes, I do."

"I keep getting thoughts like, 'Cornelius must destroy his son.'" Lewis shook his head.

"Okay, that's mildly creepy. I know I can be a pain, but you want to destroy me?"

"Well, it's almost like someone's trying to alter my thought pattern. But the thoughts aren't strong enough to act on."

"Like mind control?"

Lewis gulped. "Not_ like_ mind control…it is mind control."

Wilbur turned to see what Lewis was staring frightfully at. He immediately saw his dad slowly walking past them towards the mansion. "Cornelius must destroy his son. Destroy Wilbur Robinson." Thankfully, the mind controlled Cornelius didn't see them.

"Wilbur, come on," Lewis whispered and quickly grabbed his fear-frozen son's arm and dragged him out of sight.

"Thanks," Wilbur snapped out of it.

"Wilbur, I'm not a psychiatrist, but I have a feeling this is worse than a psychological breakdown."


	6. Pets and Zombies and Hippocampuses Oh My

**A/N-** So, I decided, like I said in my last A/N, to break up the final -insanely long- chapter into two chapters. And now that I've gone through and edited it (adding some lines here and there that I felt were needed, etc.) I'm really sorry that I didn't have it in two chapters from the get go on LiveJournal. I just like the idea of the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter and how it will allow for the last chapter to be solely a resolve and wind down as it should be. Other notes about this chapter, you'll probably catch the ninjas gag at the very beginning. Also, the stuff about the hippocampus is true. I may not be a doctor or scientist, but I love studying the brain. It just fascinates me so much...especially the parts dealing with memories and such. Alright, so let this chapter full of drama begin...

* * *

**Pets and Zombies and Hippocampuses, Oh My!**

"Wilbur, can you explain this?"

"No...wait…yes. Maybe it's because of the evil pets."

"Evil pets? Do I want to know?" Lewis asked nervously.

"Probably not. We need to find Carl. Maybe he knows what's going on." Wilbur and Lewis ran to the mansion and entered.

"Maybe we should have gone through the garage..." all of the pets turned to see Wilbur. They turned away from fighting the rest of the family and set their marks on him.

Two turtles headed the group, "This isn't good," Wilbur gulped.

"They're just turtles," Lewis scoffed, but was surprised to see the turtles stand up on two feet like a couple of ninjas.

"Genetically enhanced turtles! Run!"

"Is everything in the future genetically enhanced?!" Lewis asked as they ran, dodging the attacking pets.

"Yeah, thanks to Robinson Industries! You and mom _just couldn't_ stop with frogs, could you?"

"Wilbur, Lewis, take the travel tube to my delivery ship. We'll hold back these monsters," Art jumped between the boys and the animals, giving them a chance to escape before going back to fighting the fiends.

"That was close," Wilbur gave out a large 'phew' as they emerged on the lawn again.

"What about the family?" Lewis asked with a worried tone, looking back towards the house, the sound of Billie's trains could be heard rumbling from inside.

"They can handle themselves. Believe me." Wilbur suddenly spotted his mom and Carl. "Mom!"

"Wilbur!" Franny ran over to them and hugged her son. "Lewis?"

"I'm here against my will," Lewis answered quickly.

"Wilbur, we need to get you out of here. It's not safe." Franny said anxiously.

"No, there's got to be a way to stop this," Wilbur protested.

"Sweetie, the family is doing everything they can to ward off the pets. And they're after you!"

"Why me? Not that I'm not threatening or anything," Wilbur started to say cockily.

"Because you're the one who figured out their plot from the start," Carl concluded. "That's the only thing that makes sense. But now that we all know the truth, they probably won't rest until all of us are done for!" the robot went into panic mode.

Franny noticed Lewis hitting his head a little. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, he just keeps having thoughts of destroying me. Nothing to worry about," Wilbur answered.

"What?!"

"Shh..." Lewis warned before Wilbur could explain.

They all ducked as Cornelius walked by still speaking of destroying his son. "Wilbur, explanation now." Franny demanded after Cornelius had passed out of sight.

"Well, he may be under the control of the insane pets," Wilbur explained.

"Oh is that all?" Franny faked a nonchalant tone. "When were you planning on telling me that your father is trying to destroy you?"

"We can't argue about this right now, mom. We need to find a way to stop him."

"I know," Carl butted in. "We can just get the scanner out of the lab and then find out what's causing the mind control. Maybe it's an external source."

"That's brilliant, Carl!" Lewis cheered.

"Well, I was invented by a genius," Carl said humbly

"I sure hope it's just an external source and not a horrible brain injection or something like that," Wilbur said.

"How many movies do we let him watch?" Lewis looked at Franny for an answer.

"Uh, the movie topic probably isn't the best one to be discussing with mom right now," Wilbur warned.

"I hate to be a pest, but I know I'm not the only one who noticed the zombified inventor still on the loose right?" Carl spoke up before any arguments broke out.

"Carl's right. Alright, mom, why don't you and Carl go get the scanner, while me and Lewis..."

"Find a place to hide," Franny finished her son's sentence with a command. "I want the two of you as far away from here as possible. Do you hear me?"

"Fine." Wilbur crossed his arms, and looked at the ground disgustedly.

"Good, now go." Franny said before she and Carl disappeared into the travel tube.

"So where are we going to hide?" Lewis asked, but Wilbur ignored him as he began to walk towards the time machine. Lewis tried to catch up. "We are going to hide right? Wilbur? Wilbur?!"

"I have an idea."

"And I'm guessing it doesn't involve obeying your mother," Lewis looked at him.

"Well, sort of. I mean, I'm technically hiding by the time machine right now."

"Well, you're not technically hiding if he can see you!" Lewis shouted.

Cornelius jumped from the other side of the time machine. Wilbur slid underneath and out of reach, but it didn't stop Cornelius from trying. He began shaking the time machine as hard as he could, hoping to send Wilbur scurrying out from underneath it. The hood to the time machine, which was unlatched, flew open sending Lewis's baby project into the air as Cornelius shook the machine harder..

"Oh no! Oh no! I've got to get it!" Lewis made sure he caught the doll before it hit the ground. "Thank goodness. Wilbur's safe."

"Uh, this Wilbur isn't," Wilbur said with a panicked voice as he held onto the bottom of the time machine as well as he could. "You have to help me. Distract yourself so I can get into the time machine."

"And leave baby Wilbur? Franny would kill me."

"Well, I don't think mom will be too happy if _you_ kill _me_."

Cornelius suddenly got the notion to start the time machine and auto pilot in the direction of one of the walls of the Robinson Mansion. Wilbur was still holding on for dear life.

"Wilbur!" Lewis jumped onto the time machine as it rocketed past him. Wilbur was trying to make his way out from underneath without coming in contact with the back wheel. Lewis tried to bring it to a stop. "It's not stopping. It's not stopping!"

"Dad!" Wilbur managed to get his arms out enough to hang onto the side.

Lewis grabbed Wilbur's hand pulled him up and they both made a jump for it. The time machine went crashing into the wall, hard enough to cause it to crunch into more pieces than the first time Lewis had been in it. They didn't have time to cheer their narrow escape, as Cornelius began chasing after them again. They jumped into one of the long hedges surrounding the Robinson yard. They followed it a ways down before stopping.

"Okay, this is the last time I ever come to the future with you. I'm tired of being chased by Robinson zombies."

"Zombies." Wilbur mumbled, barely audible. "Zombies! That's it! Thank you for taking me to see that movie!" Wilbur barely stuck his head out to see where Cornelius was. He was still tearing the hedge to shreds in search of them.

"You're welcome, I guess," not really sure what his future son meant by it.

"Although..." Wilbur turned back to Lewis, "It _was_ irresponsible of you to..."

"Wilbur!' Lewis shouted.

"Okay, okay. I need to find mom. And in case my plan doesn't work, you better have something better." Wilbur started to turn back towards Cornelius but stopped again. "And in case I don't make it through this and I don't have a chance to say this to the future you. I'm sorry. Sorry for being such a lousy son. I've never been smart like you. If I don't make it, you and mom have my blessing to have another kid. Maybe one better than me."

Lewis didn't know quite what to think. "Wilbur, I don't think now's exactly the right time. Not that I don't appreciate the heartfelt apology...but, lookout!"

Wilbur and Lewis both dodged in opposite directions, as Cornelius tried to grab Wilbur. Wilbur ran to find Franny, almost running into both his mom and Carl as they ran out of the garage. "Mom, I have an idea. Follow me! Carl, go find dad."

"Uh, which one? The young one or the insane one?"

"Just go find Lewis. Come on, mom. The mind control hasn't affected every part of his brain. We have to find a way to make him remember who he is."

"Wilbur, what are you talking about?" Franny asked as they ran.

"We have to crack his hippocampus!"

"The hippo-what?" Franny asked puzzled. "I knew I should have paid more attention in animal science. But no, I was too busy obsessing over singing frogs."

"Mom! The hippocampus is the part of the brain that stores and creates memories. When Lewis was sharing some of the same thoughts, but not feeling the need to act on them, it must have been because whatever is controlling dad's mind hasn't fully pierced the hippocampus. Lewis is technically just a memory since he's from the past, that's why it wasn't affecting him."

"I guess that makes sense…" Franny tried processing the information. "But Wilbur, what if we can't crack the hippocamp-thingy?"

"We have to try. That's why I told Lewis to have another plan ready...since mine will probably fail anyways."

"Remember, Wilbur Robinson never fails," Lewis called through a bullhorn attached to Carl, almost as if he knew his son and best friend needed all of the encouragement he could get. However, the noise sparked Cornelius's attention, and he immediately saw Wilbur and Franny.

"Must destroy Wilbur Robinson."

"Mom! Help me!" Wilbur shrieked.

"No, uh, must love Wilbur Robinson," Franny tried her son's plan. "Wilbur Robinson is your son."

"Cornelius must destroy son."

"Uh, hey dad, I crashed the time machine. Don't you want to ground me?" Wilbur also tried his hand at evoking Cornelius's memories. A grunt and failed attack to capture him was all he got out of his dad. "I guess not. Well, I think I'll just go break everything in the lab. Robinsons Industries will go down the drain."

Cornelius lunged again, but missing Wilbur, grabbed a hold of Franny instead. "You let go of me this minute, Cornelius Robinson or you'll be sleeping on the couch for a year." Franny tried to break loose but he only squeezed harder, as though trying to crush her. Franny was already small, and it was obvious that it wasn't taking much to cause her to fight for air.

"Dad, let her go! You don't know what you're doing!" Wilbur tried his best to wrestle his mom away from his dad's grip. "Dad, stop it!" Wilbur began pounding on Cornelius's chest. It caused him to let go of Franny, freeing his hands to shove Wilbur so hard that he fell backwards and down one of the large hills on the Robinson property. He hit the bottom and laid there unconscious.


	7. Father Knows Best

**A/N-** Wow...here's the last chapter. I wish it weren't, but it is. The main thing to note about this chapter is I like to think that Wilbur is really a genius in his own sense. Basically, he acts like alot of really smart guys that I know but just like them, I don't think he wants to embrace it. Okay so with that said, I can also personally imagine him having pretty nifty ideas, of course, lacking in the expertise to carry them out...just like most of his schemes : )

Finally, I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who reviewed this story. I got so much positive feedback. I'm honored that so many people took the time to let me know how they felt about the story. I hope that in the end, it was worth the read.

* * *

**Father Knows Best**

Franny, still choking for enough air to stabilize herself, began to cry at the sight of what had happened. "Wilbur! Look what you've done!" She yelled at Cornelius. "I know this isn't the kind of father you want to be. You said you were afraid of turning into a horrible father...I had faith in you. I still do…" she was now sobbing uncontrollably. "Look at your son down there!"

Cornelius looked at Franny, and then down the hill at where Wilbur still lay motionless. He slowly made his way down the hill, a confused look in his eyes. "Wilbur? Wha-what have I done?" A light of understanding began to glimmer in his eyes again as he grew closer to his son.

"Carl, he's acting from memory, we have to find whatever is controlling him and destroy it while we still have a chance," Lewis declared.

"Here," Carl pulled out an invention from his many robotic innards. "It's the scanner, one of your best inventions, besides me."

"Not now," Lewis wasn't in the mood for humor. "Let me see that!" He grabbed it and scanned Cornelius as he staggered past them. "It's in his ear."

"The earpiece," Carl said knowingly.

Lewis waited for his future self to stop beside Wilbur. "Now!" He threw the scanner down and made a mad dash towards himself. With a huge leap, he jumped on Cornelius's back and yanked the earpiece from his ear. The sudden jerk from Cornelius, sent Lewis flying backwards, but fortunately he was caught by Carl.

"Wilbur? No. No, I didn't mean to hurt him. I tried to stop myself..." Cornelius could barely look at Wilbur as he was cradled by Franny, who had already run down the hill to him. He looked so lifeless in the arms of his mother.

Lewis walked over with Carl close behind. "Wilbur? Is he...no, he can't be. I won't let him be! I-I'll go back in time. I won't let this happen. I'll stop it before it can."

"You could, but you'd have to get someone to fly the time machine for you," Wilbur said, opening his eyes. "Last time you tried to drive, it was a bit of a disaster."

"Wilbur!" they all cheered at the sight of his being conscious.

"Wilbur, I'm sorry. I should have listened to you," Cornelius hugged his son.

Franny also hugged him, "But we're just happy that you're safe."

"Franny, I'm sorry if I hurt you, too. I love you both. I-I just..."

"You just weren't yourself?" Franny managed a brave smile, knowing that the worst was over. "I'm okay. But I think this proves that communication from the start is best."

Frankie came over to them, "The police are here for da animals. We've managed to capture dem all. But what a fight! We had to pull out all da stops on dem. Cannons, trains, paintballs, dough, uh, fashion…yeah, apparently prissy cats don't change much even when dey want to take over da world. Anyway, da police want to speak to da Mr. or Mrs."

"I'll go handle it," Franny volunteered, hoping to give Cornelius and Wilbur time to talk. Carl followed along, not wanting to be caught in the middle of anything, especially since Wilbur always managed to shift some blame to him.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Cornelius finally tried to make an excuse, "Maybe I should go help your mother."

As Cornelius turned to leave, Lewis gave Wilbur a stern look. Wilbur understood the look and knew that Lewis was right. "Dad, wait. I'm to blame for all of this. You had no reason to listen to me."

"Wilbur, this is my fault. I'm the father, you're the son. It's my job to listen to you and do whatever I can to keep you safe. I didn't do that."

"Franny's right. You two need to start talking. I'm not going back to the past knowing that the future me and my future son have a lousy relationship. What happened to being best friends? Now it sounds to me like Wilbur is being Wilbur, and you're starting to think that it's because you're not doing your job as a father. I can relate to the feeling," Lewis stepped in to try and move things along.

"Well, yeah, maybe if I weren't always working," Cornelius started.

"Working? I don't care when you work. I love seeing the new inventions you come up with. I wish I could come up with amazing ideas like you do," Wilbur admitted. The ice was finally broken. Lewis walked back to the mansion, knowing that his future self and his future son could manage from there without his help.

"You do come up with amazing ideas. I just have a hard time keeping up sometimes. Just because I'm a genius doesn't mean I can't be a little slow myself sometimes. You're so much like you're mother. You're adventurous, you know what you want and you do whatever you can to get it, and you do whatever you can to set things right when you think they're wrong."

"I just sometimes get in over my head," Wilbur spoke honestly.

"That's because you don't always think things through. You're young, there's nothing wrong with acting like it. But maybe you're more like me than we think."

"Really?" there was a bit of a shine in Wilbur's eyes. His dad was his hero, but sometimes he thought admitting it would be too weird.

"When I was under the mind control, I could still hear everything that was said. It was you who knew what to do. You were the one smart enough to know that you could tap into my hippocampus and bring me back to my former self."

"Well, yeah, but..." Wilbur stopped, thinking about it. "I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. And not only did you figure out the answer, you made it happen. I want to show you something." Cornelius led his son to the lab. He uncovered a small prototype.

Wilbur's eyes grew wide, "That-that's my idea. But how did you...I don't understand."

"Your mom was in your room one day, looking for a missing trombone..." Wilbur only laughed a guilty laugh, "...and she came across a blueprint. Why didn't you tell me you kept blueprints?"

"Because, I get ideas but I don't know how to make any of them actually work. Plus, I like doodling on the blueprint paper. It makes me feel important."

Cornelius laughed, "It explains why I'm always running low on blueprint paper. You could have come to me for help."

"I didn't want to bother you with something silly."

"This idea here is a brilliant one. And Wilbur, you can bother me anytime, even if it's silly."

"Like a dog wanting to take over the world?"

"Yes, like a dog wanting to take over the world."

"Hmmm, so none of this was because you were having a psychological breakdown," Wilbur laughed. "That's good to know."

"So, how many blueprints do you have?" Cornelius was extremely curious.

"A whole drawer full."

"Well, then, maybe we should set up some time from now on for you to come work with me in the lab."

"Sounds great, dad," Wilbur hugged his father, taking him off guard, but it didn't take long for Cornelius to hug his son back.

* * *

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we thought to build two time machines," Cornelius said to Lewis as they all gathered around the broken one.

"At least I can't be grounded for it this time," Wilbur said confidently, and rather cockily.

"Yeah, well. Like father like son I guess. I'll go get the other one, and I'll make sure it's running smoothly before either of you take off anywhere."

"What's this," Franny reached for something among the rubble. "I don't believe it. It's little Wilbur from our class assignment. So this is what happened to it," she laughed, obviously recalling something.

Lewis looked at it, "I'm sorry, but I figured the real Wilbur was more important," he smiled and looked at his future son.

"Absolutely," Franny also smiled. "But, um, just in case I'm not so forgiving in the past, don't hold it against me. I was pretty attached to this thing, and for the record, I knew leaving it with you wasn't a good idea."

"Maybe I don't want to go back," Lewis only semi-joked about the matter. He knew he would love Franny someday, and he already liked her a lot, but sometimes she scared him. He took the doll from Franny and looked at it. An arm and leg was out of socket, there were scuff marks all over, and there were wires sticking out from where the tracking device used to be.

Franny pulled Wilbur aside, "You might want to try and help Lewis with the baby matter. If I remember right, I was on the verge of never talking to him again. And I can't remember why we didn't fail altogether."

"No worries, mom. I'll think of something," Wilbur was obviously already hatching a plan in his mind.

"Good, just don't make it worse."

"One time machine, ready for time travel", Cornelius pulled the time machine to a stop, and got out. "Don't stay gone too long, Wilbur. I though maybe we'd visit the Alamo."

"Really? Awesome!"

"The Alamo? I don't think so," Franny said sternly. "That's worse than alien zombies."

"We'll talk about it," Cornelius winked at Wilbur.

"Right! Come on, Lewis!" They both jumped into the time machine.

"So, Wilbur, anymore psychological breakdowns I should be on the lookout for?" Lewis asked jokingly.

"Nah, you turn out to be a great father," Wilbur smiled at his dad, and then shut the hatch before taking off.

"See, what'd I tell you," Franny looked at her husband knowingly.

**_

* * *

_**

2 Days Later (In The Past) 

"You can't ignore me forever," Lewis leaned over to whisper to Franny, who held their patched up baby as far away from him as possible. She wrote something on a piece of paper and gave it to him. Unfolding it he read, "If we fail, I will never speak to you again." Franny sure could hold a grudge.

Lewis was about to say something else, but was stopped when the teacher asked him and Franny to step out into the hallway with him. "Lewis, Franny, I was informed about why your baby is in such a terrible state. Now usually, I wouldn't make exceptions on a project like this, but since you are two of my best students, and since the circumstance could allow for it, I will only ask that you both write a 5 page report on some of the troubles of parenting. Hand it in to me tomorrow and you both should still receive a B on this project."

Lewis couldn't help but wonder how his teacher knew, but it didn't take long to catch Wilbur out of the corner of his eye. He must have said something to help.

"Oh, and Lewis, I was asked to give this to you," the teacher handed a note to Lewis.

Lewis opened it to see it was a note from Wilbur. "Dear Dad, I don't know if this will mess up the time stream, but in the future, _please _don't ever micro chip me. Please. Love, Wilbur."

Wilbur waited until Lewis had gone back into the classroom, before heading back to where his dad was waiting outside.

"You're getting a B," he said as he jumped into the passenger seat.

"I think your mom will be okay with that," Cornelius chuckled. "So, where to next?"

"Remember that one Father's Day when you and me went camping, and mom bet us that we couldn't last more than 2 days?"

"Yeah…that sounds like a plan. We can at least make sure we come home with our dignity," Cornelius and his son snickered.

"To the time machine!" both father and son said simultaneously, followed by happy laughter. Wilbur got in first, but Cornelius waited. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a special item that he always kept with him. It was an old folded piece of paper, very age worn. It was the note that Wilbur had just given his dad's younger self. He smiled as he looked at it; knowing by heart what it read. "Don't worry, son. I won't," he whispered before placing it back in his pocket. He finally jumped in, "To the future?"

"To the future!" Wilbur exclaimed as father and son both disappeared into the clear blue horizon.

**THE END**


End file.
